Abstract: An engine enclosure (10) has a noise suppression arrangement (15,15a,15b) mounted thereon including a plurality of acoustical energy absorbers (20,20a,20b) and sound reflectors (24,24a,24b) spaced from the absorbers to provide airflow passages (26,26a,26b) therebetween. The noise suppression arrangement (15,15a,15b) efficiently absorbs and reflects acoustical energy and exhibits a low space to sound absorption efficiency ratio in comparison to conventional noise suppression arrangements.

Abstract: An earthworking machine having a frame, a pair of front wheels carried by a front portion of the frame, and a pair of rear wheels carried by a rear portion of the frame. An operator's station is mounted to the frame at one side thereof between the front wheel and rear wheel at that side. The operator's station includes an access opening opening toward one of the wheels. The operator station may include a wall portion having a recess receiving a portion of one of the wheels. A protective canopy is mounted to a portion of the frame and includes a portion overlying the operator's station to protect the operator from falling objects. Structure is provided within the operator's station for supporting the operator in a position facing across the machine. Speed control mechanism is provided at an inner portion of the operator's station for operation by the operator so facing inwardly toward the frame. The frame includes pedestal portions for mounting the operator's station and canopy structure.

Abstract: A brake assembly for a vehicle is mounted directly on the vehicle frame with the brake caliper straddling a brake disc carried directly on the vehicle drive line. The brake is spring applied to grab the disc and to prevent rotation of the drive line. Air pressure is used to release the brake such that loss of air pressure as when an air hose ruptures or when the air reserve is consumed by usage will permit the spring to lock the brake and prevent rotation of the drive line. The brake can be applied when the engine is running by releasing the air pressure on the brake.

Abstract: A wheeled vehicle structure including a frame having laterally spaced rail portions, a working component such as a loader, and arm and control cylinder structure attached to the working component for selective positioning thereof. A prefabricated tower assembly is mounted to the frame in straddling relationship to the spaced rails, with a top portion of the tower assembly resting on a top surface of the rails and a lower side portion of the tower assembly welded to the outer side surfaces of the rails. Shims are provided for accurately locating the tower assembly transversely of the frame and to accommodate for manufacturing tolerances. The tower assembly includes pivot structure for pivotally connecting the arm and control cylinder structure thereto so as to permit ready conversion of the wheeled vehicle to a loader or the like.

Abstract: A low-profile front end loader vehicle has the bucket located as close to the front wheels as is possible without sacrificing strength and maneuverability. The lift arms are shortened and reshaped in the midportion to lower the low position of the lift arms. An irregularly shaped reinforced tubular crossbrace is provided and has end plates which coact not only with external plates on each arm for attachment of the lift cylinders to said arms, but also coact with brackets carried by said crossbrace to support the tilt arms thereon. The respective plates strengthen the lift arms and the reinforced crossbrace has internal stiffness that resists torsion and bending to provide an improved compact lift structure.

Abstract: An earthworking machine having a frame and wheels carried by the frame for movement of the machine over subjacent terrain. A bucket is provided having a rear portion defining rearwardly opening recesses. The recesses are arranged to accommodate reception of the tilt and lift arms of the material handling structure. The recesses may further be arranged to accommodate a portion of the front wheels of the machine in preselected dispositions of the material handling structure. The material handling structure is arranged to be rocked on a rounded rear portion thereof while resting on the subjacent terrain so as to provide an improved freeing of the material being removed prior to the lifting thereof in the bucket. The material handling structure is arranged to provide a low profile providing improved unobstructed viewing forwardly from the machine in normal use.

Abstract: A laser system includes a nozzle assembly for use in directing a shielding gas around a laser beam and thereby protecting the point of focus from contamination by the atmosphere as is useful in welding and cutting applications. The nozzle includes a manifold section for admitting a shielding gas such as inert gas through a diffuser formed therein which exits from an outlet aperture through a nozzle tip section. The geometry of the nozzle is such that a certain amount of the shielding gas is flowed backward through an inlet aperture in the manifold section and thence into a housing container reflecting mirrors for directing and focusing the laser beam through the nozzle assembly. The remaining shielding gas, which is the bulk of the gas admitted, passes out through the outlet aperture in column fashion around the laser beam. By producing a back flow of shielding gas, aspiration of air through the housing and onto the workpiece is avoided.

Abstract: An optical system for directing a beam of corpuscular energy such as a laser beam is provided and includes a fixed mirror mounted at 45.degree. to the longitudinal axis of the beam so as to deflect the beam substantially 90.degree. to impinge upon a fixed concave mirror located at the forward end of the optical system housing. The beam is then reflected and converged back to a convex mirror mounted on a cylindrical mount within a centrally disposed bore in the 45.degree. mirror and then forwardly through a similar aperture in the concave mirror where it passes out through the forward end of the housing to a point of focus on, for example, a workpiece. The convex mirror mounting arrangement provides for three degrees of freedom whereby focusing and adjustment of the optical system is accomplished by merely adjusting one of the three mirrors while holding two of the mirrors fixed.

Abstract: A shot producing machine includes a rotatable vessel containing molten metal, the rotation of such vessel throwing the molten metal therefrom in the form of spherical droplets. The spherical droplets are caused to pass through a liquid spray whereby they are solidified into pellets, and thereafter fall to the bottom of a receiving vessel for collection.

Abstract: A control linkage for combined simultaneous control of an engine throttle and a transmission ratio control includes a foot pedal mounted for physical movement about a first axis from its zero position, a throttle linkage connecting the pedal to an engine throttle for movement therewith through the control range and transmission ratio control linkage connecting the control pedal to a ratio control valve for movement with the pedal through the control range and means for shifting the ratio control linkage to a first position for movement of the valve in a forward direction upon movement of the control pedal and shiftable to a second position for movement of the valve in the reverse direction upon the same movement of the control pedal.

Abstract: In a double articulated vehicle, such as for use in low clearance areas, i.e. mines with low ceilings and the like, front and rear frames are pivotally mounted relative to an intermediate carriage about spaced vertical axes. A link is pivotally mounted to the front and rear frames with the longitudinal axis of the link crossing the centerline of the vehicle. Rams are provided between the carriage and the front and rear frames so that actuation of the rams turns the front and rear frames simultaneously relative to the carriage.

Abstract: A fluid cooled lens assembly is provided which comprises a housing mounting a lens or window where a window is a lens with infinite radius of curvature therein and a cooling passage included in said housing for directing coolant fluid around the lens periphery from an inlet through an outlet in the housing. Turbulators in the form of protuberances spaced throughout the cooling passage restrict the flow of fluid and thereby cause turbulence to assist and enhance the heat transfer effect of the fluid. The cooling passage turbulators are formed within one of a pair of mounting rings comprising the housing.

Abstract: A system for cooling a mirror such as a laser mirror is provided. The system includes a mirror having a reflective surface and a plurality of coolant chamber cavities arranged in serial order from an inlet to an outlet. Restrictive flow passages formed within walls between the cavities control coolant flow and produce desired turbulence within the cavities for enhanced heat transfer from the mirror to the coolant.

Abstract: An impact rock breaker includes detachable mounting means and latching means operative for mounting the rock breaker on the stick of a backhoe or excavator adjacent the bucket such that the rock breaker can be pivoted to a nonoperative position latched to the stick out of the way of the bucket to permit normal operation of the bucket and an operative position pivoted to and latched to the bucket for movement with the bucket for normal operation of the rock breaker.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with an improvement in a machine tool gripping assembly of the type which comprises a housing with a bore therewithin and a collet slidable toward and retractable from a spindle facing end portion of said bore, the collet having extending from a spindle facing end thereof a plurality of resilient leaves each attached at one end to said collet and separated at a spindle gripping end thereof, each of said leaves having a first annular cam surface adjacent said spindle gripping end thereof, said surface being formed at a selected angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said collet.

Abstract: in an air circulating system of a work vehicle having an operator's cab, a manifold and a radiator, a plenum is used for controllably passing an air stream from outside the cab through the cab to a radiator and manifold.

Abstract: An impact rock breaker includes detachable mounting means and latching means operative to mount the rock breaker on the stick of a backhoe or excavator adjacent the bucket such that the rock breaker can be pivoted between a non-operative position out of the way of the bucket to permit normal operation of the bucket and an operative position latched to the bucket for movement with the bucket for normal operation of the rock breaker.